BRITISH Transport Police chiefs have drafted in a helicopter in a bid to pinpoint rail-line criminals.

They hope the eye-in-the-sky patrols will help them collar those responsible for a catalogue of incidents at Ellesmere Port, Overpool and Hooton stations in just the past fortnight.

These have included incidents of youths throwing stones at trains and placing obstacles on the tracks.

The helicopter initiative is part of a joint operation between rail companies and British Transport Police (BTP) and the airborne crew will report anything which looks suspicious to controllers on the ground who will despatch a team of officers to the scene.

BTP Inspector Neil Moffat said: 'We refer to the people causing the problems as route crime offenders because we believe calling them vandals belittles the problems they actually cause.

'Historically, Ellesmere Port and Overpool stations are rail crime hotspots and the helicopter, with help from patrols on the ground, will target these areas.'

Inspector Richard Clark, also of the BTP, said: 'Rail crime is an ongoing problem. Last week, there was a shopping trolley, a pram, an iron bar and about five bikes left on the track.

'The driver had to stop the train when he saw the iron bar and, during the same week, a stone smashed a train window between Ellesmere Port and Hooton.' Insp Clark added: 'There can also be problems with people who go to the coast for a day out and end up drinking all day.

'The ones who cause trouble are often those you don't expect. It is usually people in their mid-20s and older who end up arguing, often in domestic situations.'

The helicopter is just one part of the strategy to reduce incidents including anti-social behaviour, assaults and fare evasion.

Other initiatives include extensive leafleting throughout schools and high-profile patrols.

Insp Moffat said: 'People can often feel intimidated when travelling on a train, particularly when a gang of youths get on board. Our aim is to make them feel safe when travelling.'